Idealistic Concepts
by ashestoashesanddusttodust
Summary: Facts should never be ignored in favor of wishful thinking, and all the facts in history pointed very firmly to the conclusion that soulmates did not exist. Erasermight


**Notes** : Erasermight soulmate AU because I'm still trying to get a better grasp of the characters for this series.

.

.

.

The world believes that everyone is born with a soulmate. A perfect partner that will complete you and whose name is written on your body in a mark more permanent than any ink. It's an idealistic fantasy that's been passed down from generation to generation for about as long as humanity has existed. Aizawa Shouta believes that the world is full of idiots who aren't willing to face the truth, and that 1,000 monkeys banging away at keyboards for 1,000 days has a better chance of writing out a coherent on why people are born with names on them than anyone has of finding their soulmate.

The facts of the matter just don't support the soulmate fantasy and drivel most people believe in. Despite the way technology has made it so very easy to connect with nearly anyone across the world, the number of matched souls is astoundingly low. There are entire databases and multiple organizations devoted to connecting people to their soulmates that have not increased the odds of a pair meeting at all.

It's nothing more than chance and coincidence as far as Shouta is concerned. It's inevitable with the sheer population of the world that a few people with matching names would meet. He's sure that there's also a high number of people who meet a person whose name matches their mark only to find out that person has a different name marked on them, but those meetings are never talked about. Never taken into account by a world that would rather ignore how statistically improbable it is to find their so called soulmate.

"Aizawa, we'll be working closely together from now on. Please accept this gift and feel free to call me by my name, Yagi Toshinori!"

All his beliefs, and more, pass through Shouta's mind in a flash before he even finishes looking up at the imposing form of All Might hovering over his desk. A wrapped package in his broad hands held out and his large face an open book that Shouta refuses to read. His voice is booming and loud enough that the introduction lingers in the air for several long minutes.

"I don't want it," Shouta eventually says when he's sure he won't give anything at all away. "There's no need for gifts, All Might."

"Ah, well," All Might fidgets with the box and does a remarkable job of hiding anything he might be thinking behind a white grin. A move that's been perfected for the media and probably does wonders to set most people to ease. Shouta's not most people though. He never has and never will fully trust a smile that shows off that many teeth. "I insist! We'll be working together to mold the minds of the next generation of young heroes. So please don't be so formal! Call me Yagi, or Toshinori."

He's being too obvious, and Shouta can hear the slight quiver as the man emphasizes his name. Prodding for a reaction that Shouta just doesn't give. What he does give is a flat stare as he stands up with a stack of handouts he needs to make copies of.

"We're not friends, All Might. I'd appreciate it if you refrained from any necessary extravagances in the future," Shouta says bluntly. He'd also appreciate it if the man refrained from all flashy gestures, declarations, actions... Shouta could write out a whole list of things he'd rather not deal with but it'd be simpler to just sum it up under "All Might" in the long run.

He's been told - _ordered_ by a gently chuckling Nezu- to be polite though. To give the man a chance that Shouta fears he'll regret when he has to extract annoyingly unrealistic ideas out of student's heads later on in the school year. Shouta will not deny the good that has been done by All Might, but he is a teacher first and he _knows_ exactly how damaging having the world's greatest hero around will be for them.

Nezu had spoken of how the students would be inspired, and it's a line he's maintained even after the revelation of the injuries All Might suffers. One that the rest of the staff seem to have latched onto. Seeing the Number One Hero's deeds and actions, and not the skeletal, sickly man that was a result of those actions. The reality of All Might that Shouta know he himself is still trying to process even as he knows -deep in his bones- it is not a fate he ever wants to see any of his students know.

"I recommend familiarizing yourself with school policies and standards before the semester begins," Shouta says as he leaves the room. Not looking back as he slides the door shut, and definitely not pressing a hand to his left side where a name he's never heard until today is scrawled along his lowest rib.

As the copier kicks to life, Shouta realizes he's disappointed. Though whether it's at All Might or the world at large isn't all too clear. He contemplates the matter for a moment before discarding it as irrelevant, and gives his whole attention over to the machine in an attempt to prevent it from jamming every second piece of paper.


End file.
